This weekend I rode the Ouachita Challenge, my second year in a row. At 15 hours the drive is too long though, so next year I've resolved not to go. Either that or I'll ride both days, the tour on Saturday and the race on Sunday. 
This year I again rode the tour and the course was the opposite of last year. I liked it better I think. The climbs, mostly at the end this time, were still brutally painful, but they'd be that in either direction and this year I got to enjoy the Womble trail before the real suffering began. I basically missed it last year because we hit the sweetest part about the time I was bottoming out. I came back around but by then the fun was over.
I also planned things better this year. Last year I got hung up in the early climbs behind granny ringing gearies, and that burned a lot of energy early on. Not this year though. I'd pre-ridden the early part of the course on Friday so Saturday I knew what was coming and positioned myself accordingly. The other planning improvement over last year was the long road section in the middle. Last year I waited for the food stop before eating. That was bad, but what was worse was that they'd moved the food stop five miles down the road. Recovering from that took time. This year as soon as I hit pavement I started stuffing my face and only stopped at the food stop for additional supplies. The climbs at the end still sucked, and I walked more than I wanted to, but I rode a lot too and the downhills were great. No crashes, no flats, no mechanicals. Not a bad day at all.
Pre-ride
Womble goodness. I spent the first 15 miles with these guys, then we got separated and I didn't see another tour rider on the trails all day.
Friendly volunteers. These folks don't give a hoot about bikes or bikies, but they rock anyway.
Ouachita side of the course, one of the spots where the rocks were beside the trail instead of in it. Overall the Ouachita side was a tire and derailleur killer.
Money shot from up on Blowout Mtn somewhere.
This year I again rode the tour and the course was the opposite of last year. I liked it better I think. The climbs, mostly at the end this time, were still brutally painful, but they'd be that in either direction and this year I got to enjoy the Womble trail before the real suffering began. I basically missed it last year because we hit the sweetest part about the time I was bottoming out. I came back around but by then the fun was over.I also planned things better this year. Last year I got hung up in the early climbs behind granny ringing gearies, and that burned a lot of energy early on. Not this year though. I'd pre-ridden the early part of the course on Friday so Saturday I knew what was coming and positioned myself accordingly. The other planning improvement over last year was the long road section in the middle. Last year I waited for the food stop before eating. That was bad, but what was worse was that they'd moved the food stop five miles down the road. Recovering from that took time. This year as soon as I hit pavement I started stuffing my face and only stopped at the food stop for additional supplies. The climbs at the end still sucked, and I walked more than I wanted to, but I rode a lot too and the downhills were great. No crashes, no flats, no mechanicals. Not a bad day at all.
Pre-ride
Womble goodness. I spent the first 15 miles with these guys, then we got separated and I didn't see another tour rider on the trails all day.
Friendly volunteers. These folks don't give a hoot about bikes or bikies, but they rock anyway.
Ouachita side of the course, one of the spots where the rocks were beside the trail instead of in it. Overall the Ouachita side was a tire and derailleur killer.
Money shot from up on Blowout Mtn somewhere.
